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Bugging About Friday: Robber Fly

This was a really lucky photo for me to get because the height wasn’t too far off the ground and I had a near perfect angle light wise. The unfortunate sap sucking insect here has fallen victim to a really heinous aerial murderer: The Robber Fly. Robber Flies can get incredibly big, one once landed on me that was around 3″ or so in length and it was also the first time I had seen one! Thankfully it didn’t do the other thing they are rather famed and feared for: Biting.

I was able to get this photo due to just hearing a strange buzzing sound above my head as I inspected a flower for some beetles, when I saw the above sight. My camera was up to the task and this is one of the better – albeit still not quite as good as I hoped – photos I was able to take of the Robber Fly. These guys are actually pretty impressive in flight and have aggression to match, as one of the most spectacular sights I have seen in Australia has been a mid-air duel between one of these insects and a dragonfly. It’s rather like watching a WW1 dog fight, but with insect wings and mandibles instead of machine guns.

These are good bugs as well! While they *might* bite the odd person – which I am sure is just curiosity – they are generally removers of pests like annoying beetles, these stink bugs and other things. Just watch out if they land on you…